A Thought Behind
by FortissimoMaestro
Summary: Takes place in Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy, Shindou Takuto doesn't like his team, or is there another reason? Be prepared for trouble.
1. Chapter 1

"Those are the eleven." These words are still resounding through Shindou's head. No more, no bench-sitters. He sighs, they had the exhibition match yesterday, he didn't feel any pain back then, or when they travelled through time, could it be that in the parallel worlds, the injury of his leg didn't exist? It was possible, wasn't it? He sits down on his bed and lies his right leg on it.

Well, he needs to hold on. Shindou sighs again and takes his bag. On the bottom of his bag he finds the little box with painkillers. It doesn't help much, he knows, but it will not hurt. He takes two of it and puts the box in his bag again, where nobody can see it.

When Shindou lies down, Tenma comes in like a bouncing ball "Shindou-san! Will you join practise with me and Tsurugi?" If he could, Shindou would join, he wants to be useful for the team, but also wants to keep the pain beneath three on a scale from one to ten, and he's far over that now. "I'm sorry Tenma, not now, I'm tired, unfortunately." A white lie, kind of, he is also tired, but that's not his main reason.

"Oh, uh. Souka! Then only Tsurugi and I will practise together! Excuse me then!" Tenma replies smiling and bounces out of Shindou's room.

It's already getting dark outside and Shindou decides to go to sleep soon. It's already a quarter to eleven and Tenma and Tsurugi are still practising together. Shindou stands up slowly and walks to the corridor, silence. Nobody's there, at home everywhere is someone, a maid or a butler. It's only silent at night, but this silence is different, it's giving him shivers.

While walking to the bathroom he sees Minaho and Manabe, they're walking together back to their rooms. Shindou sighs, he misses Kirino, there's nobody here who talks to him. 'I guess because I fell out against them...' he thinks when he enters the common bathroom. 'But I didn't want to... It just happened, I just want to be useful...'

* * *

This is my first story, this chapter is really short. I'm just beginning. Please leave a review.


	2. Chapter 2

After brushing his teeth and changing his clothes Shindou slowly walks back to his room, the painkillers are doing their work, but he still feels it. Paracetamol just isn't that strong to let the pain go away. Shindou lays down on his bed but he can't sleep, the pressure and stress are the problem. He keeps thrashing about and pressing his eyes together. Finally he gives up and opens his eyes, it's midnight. He sits up straight and looks outside of the window. It's dark out.

He sighs and stands up slowly. 'I guess I can't sleep anymore today" is the only thing he can think. And that's strange, because he's exhausted. He walks through the corridor to the training hall and goes outside. It isn't that silent outside, he hears several cars, planes and trains coming by. The street lights are on, it's so different here, it's not like home...

With every step he takes a stab of pain shoots through his body. He flinches and groans quietly. "Ow!" Luckily there's nobody outside. He looks quickly around and lets a tear out. Why did it come back?! He thought he was all right... But he isn't. "I want to play... I-I want to face the world..." The sentence escapes from his mouth like an almost inaudible unsteady whisper. He sits down and folds his arms around his legs. He looks at the ground, biting his lip. Nobody will ever know this, and they better don't know.

He keeps sitting there that night, hurting himself inside, knowing nobody will hear him. "Everyone thinks I'm weak... I have to do something to my personality..." He clenches his fists and closes his eyes. "Nobody likes me for who I am... Or... Who I was." He swallows, but his throat feels swollen. "... Why?!" He screams to the sky. It was the first real match he played, well, in this own era. This team was so... Horrible. Shindou doesn't know how to say it else. The worst... Every player of them.

He opens his eyes and stands up. Black patches start to dance in front of his eyes. He clutches the railing he stands next to. His head feels heavy. "... I should go back to my room." Shindou tries to stand up, but can't keep his eyes open any longer. Before he falls back, a figure with the shape of a human appears. Shindou can't figure out who it is and closes his eyes slowly.

The next time he opens his eyes he is lying on his bed, he must have been sleeping. The person is still sitting in his room and Shindou recognizes him immediately. "...Kudou kantoku?" It's still early in the morning. "What are you doing here?" "That's not at the point Shindou, the point is. What are _you _doing here?" Shindou lowers his head. "... Kantoku... I want to face the world. I really want to... But I don't know how." They both sat in silence for a while, - well, Shindou lay – before Kudou said something.

"If you want to play, I have something for you here." Shindou looks up. What was it? Kudou hands him over a little box and a bandage. Shindou looks at his former coach. "... What is that for?" As Kudou points at the box he begins to read. Naproxen... Anti-inflammatory painkillers. "But kantoku, this is a kind of drugs. I can't take that." "Shindou, you have to take them, even if you don't play. It's not like you have a choice." "... Shikashi kantoku..." But Kudou doesn't seem to listen anymore. "Take three pills every day, keep it balanced, if you get one of the side effects, like stomach discomfort, call me." Shindou nods. "I will."

"Then I'll leave now" says Kudou as he stands up. "H-hai. Arigataugozaimasu." Shindou replies as he lies down. He'd better take a bit sleep, the others aren't awake yet. Shindou opens the little box and takes a pill which he takes with the glass of water coach Kudou left on his desk. He can't stand the pain anymore, has he forced his leg in the match and during practise? Probably, how else?

Shindou manages to fall asleep after a while. In due time Tenma asks Minaho to wake Shindou. At the time Minaho knocks on his door Shindou is still deep in slumber. Minaho opens the door to his room and is about to make him wake up as he spots the little box on Shindou's desk. "What is this?" He whispers to not wake Shindou in the first time. Minaho takes the little box in his hands. "Anti-inflammatory painkillers, huh? Well, let's see what's wrong with you, my eye is on you with practise." Minaho says almost inaudibly before he raises his voice to wake Shindou up as he places the box Naproxen back on the desk. "Shindou-kun. Wake up! Breakfast is ready." Shindou opens his eyes and sits up straight. Who let him wake up like that?! He looks at the boy in his room. Minaho Kazuto... The one who thinks he knows everything. He decides to act innocently, "... Hai?"

At the time Shindou changes into his jacket, everyone has almost finished their breakfast. But he isn't hungry at all. Contrary, he looks around and sits down around a table, alone. He waits until everyone is gone, nobody says anything to him. He sighs deeply. Nobody cares about him, not that it's bad, he can do anything he wants. Shindou notices the pain is his leg is slowly fading away. As he walks to his room to change and to look how to use his bandage, he doesn't notice Minaho who stands at the corner on the corridor, spying on Shindou.

"How is this thing supposed to work?" Shindou looks at the description on the box of his bandage. The dark blue band made of neoprene has some Velcro fasteners. He looks at the box again. "Oh, that way." He moves the bandage under his foot, oblique over his lower leg and fastens it. He doesn't feel any pain anymore. What a relief. Shindou moves carefully his shinquards over the bandage, which he covers with the blue and white socks. He's ready.

During the training, Shindou starts to feel dizzy, due to not having breakfast. But his stomach feels weird, really weird, like he could vomit every moment. And that's strange, because he didn't eat anything. At 10 a.m. he can't hold it any longer and walks off the field to the bathroom. Just in time because a flow of yellow fluid is about to come out. It stinks like heck and Shindou tries to wash it away. He tries to walk over to the washing table on his unsteady legs to drink some water.

Minaho saw his suspect teammate leave and walks around in the corridors, trying to find Shindou and catch him. He walks towards the bathroom as he hears some retching sounds. Minaho walks in guessing where the sour smell comes from as he finds Shindou leaning against the wall. "Shindou, what happened?"He asks carefully.

* * *

What do you think about this?


	3. Chapter 3

This was as Kudou kantoku mentioned, a side effect of the medicine. Shindou said he would call him when he got one, but Kudou didn't give him his phone number.

Ibuki opens the door as Shindou sits down on his knees. "What's going on here?!"

"Ibuki-kun!" Minaho says surprised. The goalkeeper looks at his certain teammate, who sits on the floor, his bangs covering his eyes. Why did it have to be **him**?

"What's with him?" Ibuki's voice doesn't show any interest or whatever he would think.

Shindou doesn't say anything. "I saw him walking away from practise, so I followed him to the bathroom, where he started vomiting." Minaho replies.

Ibuki sighs deeply. "Say it to the damn captain, and I'll... I will stay with him, okay?"

"I got it." Minaho says as the rushes out of the bathroom.

Ibuki seems to understand his condition and fills a glass with water, which he gives to Shindou.

Shindou sighs and takes it from Ibuki, he isn't in the mood to refuse it.

The yellow liquid lays all over the floor and the smell of it is terrible. Ibuki looks at it. "I've never known so much could come out of a small boy like you."

Shindou is about to say something like "I'm not small!" or "I bet you wouldn't be happy if you'd be taller than you are!" but he doesn't. Instead of that, he leans his head against the wall and closes his eyes.

Isn't Kudou on his side? Is he an enemy? Is the medication toxic? No, that couldn't be, Kudou kantoku would never to that. But people can change, so it was possible...

Several voices appear in the corridor, practise is over. Shindou hears Tenma, probably talking to Tsurugi. "I wonder where Shindou-senpai went." "Don't worry about it Tenma, he's probably already analysing our next opponent."

Ibuki stands up. "... Where are you going?" Shindou asks. "Nowhere, unless you want me to leave."

"I can do it alone." The words escape before he can think about it. But Ibuki doesn't look surprised.

"It doesn't look like you can do it alone." He says teasingly. "Oh shut up Ibuki..."

When Shindou hears Ibuki sniggering, he knows that nothing has changed.

"I'm going to my room..." Shindou says as he stands up with a lot of effort. Ibuki leans against the wall, looking how Shindou hobbles out of the bathroom.

"Shindou-san!"

Oh, God... not now...

Tenma walks over to him. "I heard from Minaho-kun, that you are sick or something." "Oh, yeah..."

"Is that true?"

"Kind of.."

"But you can still play soccer, right?"

"Ah."

Tenma smiles. "That's great. But I'm busy, so, see you later." Shindou doesn't answer, he pushes the door to his room open, hobbles to his bed, sits down and takes the little box in his hands.

He opens the box and takes the description out of it. Then, he starts to read.

_Naproxen EC._

_Gastric Fuid-resistant tablets. _

_Higher chance to get heart attacks... Stomach ulcers... Use stomach protectors by persistent nausea and stomach cramps._

Wait... Nothing about vomiting?

_Taking right before the repast. _

Shindou sighs, it was his own stupid fault. He shouldn't have taken it before he went sleeping.

Well, that problem is solved after all. Now it's only his leg.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Inazuma Eleven Go Galaxy or any of his characters, it all belongs to Level-5.**

* * *

It's still spring and the days are getting longer. Match after match.

They went well, but after the match with Saudi Arabia's Shamsir, after that he got blown back my Giant Desert Sandstorm his leg began to pound heavily.

Since then, he raised the Naproxen up to three a day.

He doesn't have time to worry, the tournament is way more important, but in his free time which Kuroiwa Kantoku gave them, he went to a physical therapist, he one who the hospital had recommended him.

He let him do some practise, he didn't feel anything when he did them, but that night he couldn't sleep because of the pain.

Shindou sighs, it's harder than he thought it'd be. Everyone is moving forward, but it's like **he **is falling back.

He pulls his trouser leg up and lets his finger runs over his scars. The one from the surgery.

When he woke up he was surprised that they only made three small cuts. Surgeons sure are amazing.

Then his fingers reach the place where the fracture was, it still has a little lump on it. The doctors told him that it will never totally go away, but it would shrink in years.

_For God's sake, what's wrong with him?_

And damn now he's pretending that his team is thrash only because he has a disability... and then it hits him.

"I'm creating a monster... of myself." He whispers. "They should be afraid of me, they should hate me..."

He lays down on his bed, folding his arms around his shoulders.

"Shindou-san?" Tenma knocks on the door.

_Go away..._

Shindou doesn't answer and closes his eyes instead.

Man, could everyone just shut up?

_I don't feel like being here..._

Shindou stands up, furious. What the fuck is that coach thinking? Eleven players, that means he **has **to play every match. But that's so hard...

He pulls his trouser leg down and walks to the door. This can't go on like this.

His footsteps resound in the corridor, he rushes as fast as he can to the office of his 'beloved' coach.

"Kantoku!" He slams the door open. "What are you thinking?!"

"Oi, I'm your coach, be some more polite."

"Why aren't there any bench sitters yet?!"

No answer.

"Kantoku!"

"None of this is your business."

... If that coach knew...

"Shikashi Kantoku..."

"I'm busy."

Shindou turns around and walks to the door, when he closes it again, he walks to the training room.

But halfway he loses the grip on his feet and slips. His head clashes against the floor.

When he sits up, he sees auntie coming with a sign. 'Caution, wet floor' is written on it.

Great...

Wait, didn't he hear something crunch when he fell? Well, it didn't matter.

But when he tries to stand up, his right leg hurts unbearable and he's unable to stand on it.

Tears form in his eyes.

"Oh dear, did you hurt yourself?"

He looks up. Auntie is standing right in front of him.

"I'm sorry, I had to get the sign before I went cleaning"

"N-no, it's nothing..."

"Hmm, you look a bit confused to me."

"It's nothing!" he says out loud.

She looks at him, and he looks away.

"That's enough, I'll help you up."

"That's not necessary..."

She doesn't seem to listen and takes his arm. "N-no!" Shindou screams as he pulls his arm back, stumbling to the wall to keep standing.

Auntie shrugs, "if you don't want to, I can't let you do anything you don't want."

Shindou nods unnoticeable. Auntie smiles at him, "You're a tough one."

"Eh?"

"Well, see you."

"...That... was the strangest conversation ever..." Shindou sighs.

"Hey you," that voice, it has to be...

"Ibuki, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for a certain person who's late for practise."

"Oh crap, am I that late?"

"Already twenty minutes" Ibuki says with an irritated expression on his face, "so, are you coming?"

"Y-yeah."

* * *

**Some things are based on my own experience.**


	5. Chapter 5

Ibuki starts walking to the training room, leaving Shindou behind.

"Hey, are you coming?!" Ibuki calls.

"One moment..."

He tries to walk, but it's no use and he keeps standing against the wall, moaning.

Oh, if someone could take him home right now...

"Shindou?"

"I'm coming!"

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

Shindou freezes at his place. Does he know? **How** does he know?!

"Shit, shit..." Shindou starts to space out. I'm going to be thrown out of the team, they can't use me like this.

"Shindou." Ibuki appears from behind the wall.

"I-it's not what you're thinking..." Shindou says quickly, too fast and too nervous. "What is it then?" Ibuki asks. "It's none of **your **business!" Shindou shouts. "Leave me alone!" he adds.

"Tsk" Ibuki curses mumbling. "As expected from a rich half-pint like you, not accustomed to **anything**."

Shindou rolls his eyes. "Do you even care?"

"No" Ibuki replies, Shindou looks at the big grin on his face and lets out a sigh. He knew Ibuki wasn't gonna change.

"... Okay then, I can't walk!" Shindou exclaims. Ibuki raises an eyebrow "you. can't. walk?"

"How the heck did that happen?"

"Well, I don't really know." Shindou answers, rubbing the back of his head.

Ibuki pulls a face, that even Tsurugi can't make, when he doesn't get something. "So you're gonna keep standing here, 'cause you can't walk?" Shindou looks up to him. Ibuki doesn't wait for him to answer. "Then there's only one option."

"What-?!"

Ibuki has lifted Shindou up and it caught him off-guard. After three or four seconds the finds his voice again. "D-don't do that!"

"Do you have another idea then?!" Ibuki exclaims.

"No."

Shindou swings his arms around Ibuki's neck and closes his eyes.

"Where do you want me to bring you?"

"To my room."

"Do you like this?"

"Shut up."

Ibuki starts to walk in the direction of Shindou's room and doesn't notice Minaho standing in the corner and heard the whole conversation.

"Here you go." Ibuki says as he puts Shindou down on his bed. "Uhm, thanks." Shindou mumbles and looks away.

"Hm, I wonder how you reacted when your teammate got injured." Ibuki says out of nothing.

"What? What are you talking about?" Shindou looks up.

"I read somewhere someone of your team got injured in the final match."

"Semi-final."

"Fine. But how did you react?"

Shindou doesn't answer and bites his lip to hold back memories, how disappointed he felt, en tried to encourage Tenma whatever it would take. He just stares at the floor, swallows, but can't talk. When Ibuki asks for an answer, he pulls up his trouser's leg and tries to explain while sobbing.

"T-tha-that p-per-son, wh-wha-whas m-me..."

* * *

**That's enough for today. It's not very long, but I don't have enough time to write. **

**I'm sorry.**


	6. Chapter 6

Ibuki stares at him, not knowing what to say.

"Oh." He starts speaking. "I... Eh, sorry." Shindou turns away, "You already know too much."

"But Shindou, I didn't know."

"It doesn't matter anyway."

"Shindou!"

"... Nanda?"

"I want to help you." Ibuki says with a soft voice. "You must be kidding me." Shindou replies coldly.

"No! I really do!"

"You really are a dog."

"What?"

"You never want to listen to me, not to anyone! And now you want to help me?!"

"But Shindou-" "Forget it." He still can't trust Ibuki, not as how he is right now. "I wanna go home..." Shindou says in a soft voice. "It was wrong to think I would fit in this team." "But Shindou-"

"GO NOW! ... JUST GO!" Shindou screams at the top of his lungs, he didn't expect he could shout this loud. Ibuki stares at him. "Shi-"

"... Go..." Shindou turns his back to Ibuki. "Tell that freaking coach that I don't want to be in his team anymore." He adds. "Why should I?" Ibuki asks.

"Because I say so!"

"Who says that I have to listen to **you**?"

"Nobod-"

"-Then why are you bossing me around since I met you?!"

"I Don't know..."

Ibuki grabs Shindou's arm and pulls him backwards. Shindou –who didn't expect this- still can't stand on his leg and falls on Ibuki, who starts screaming. "You! Dammit!" He tries to push Shindou off, but it's no use as the smaller brunette doesn't move one bit. After a few minutes of being squashed between his teammate and the ground, Ibuki turns on his side –he needed a few minutes to come up with a plan like this- and lays the still frozen brunette on the floor.

"What the hell happened?!" He asks when he starts shaking Shindou. "... I'm not dead, or deaf."

"Thank goodness." Ibuki sighs.

"I thought you'd be happy if I was dead!" Shindou exclaims.

"Shut up."

Ibuki looks at Shindou's leg, which is still bare. "Oh my god it's purple!"

Shindou flinches as Ibuki touches his leg. "Oi! Hands off! You stupid idiot!"

"I only want to help you!"

"I don't need your help!"

"Stupid stubborn bad boy!"

"... What?"

Ibuki grabs Shindou's right leg, which makes a cracking sounds as Shindou pulls it back in pain and Ibuki pulls his hands back immediately. "Wh-wha-" He knows it's true when he sees Shindou's tearful eyes.

"...You broke your leg again?"

* * *

**OPEN END**

* * *

_You guys are gonna hate me for this. But yes, it's the end of the story, you gotta think how it continues yourself._


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